Obama Commits to Protecting Freedom of Press Worldwide

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On May 17, President Obama showed his support for protecting freedom of press worldwide by signing the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act into law.

Joined by Mariane Pearl, the widow of the slain journalist Daniel Pearl, and her son Adam, President Obama announced that the Act “sends a strong message from the United States government and from the State Department that we are paying attention to how other governments are operating when it comes to the press. It has the State Department each year chronicling how press freedom is operating as one component of our human rights assessment, but it also looks at countries that are — governments that are specifically condoning or facilitating this kind of press repression, singles them out and subjects them to the gaze of world opinion in ways that I think are extraordinarily important.”

Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and murdered when he traveled to Pakistan to investigate links between Al-Qaeda and the shoe bomber Richard Reid, is perhaps one of the most famous examples of journalists who fatally risked their lives to uncover and report news, but there are countless more who suffer similar fates. Reporters Without Borders, which tracks human rights abuses of journalists all over the world, estimates that so far this year 11 journalists have been killed and 163 are imprisoned.

In 2009, countries such as Denmark, Finland and Norway ranked highest on the Press Freedom Index in 2009, while countries who ranked the lowest included Iran, Burma and North Korea. Fortunately for the United States it jumped 16 places to rank 20, placing it alongside the United Kingdom and Luxembourg. Still, Reporters Without Borders Secretary-General Jean-François Julliard insists, “Press freedom must be defended everywhere in the world with the same energy and the same insistence.”

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85 comments

Funny thing: When I posted a comment here a while back, it was redacted in its entirety.
This following release is currently on the ae911truth.org website.

The News Media at War
News - News Releases By AE911Truth
Written by Terry Hansen

Excerpt:

"In modern times, deception has always employed two fundamental stages: censorship followed by propaganda. Censorship deprives the public and enemies of accurate information about what is taking place. Once this information vacuum has been created, propaganda is injected into this conceptual void, thus creating a false but entirely believable picture of events. In the age of mass media, this simply couldn't be achieved without the assistance of major news organizations, journalists, and other communication outlets. Thus, governments nearly always appeal to these organizations for help in this complex task."

My first reaction to this was to question Obama's reasoning behind the support. However it could be the first step to cleaning up the mess media has become.

With this act as a legal matter, the media should or may have to step up to the plate of integral news reporting. It will be supported by others if the support is not only for the protection of the reporters, but for the ones being reported about as well.

Media has taken a fall over the years as it has become more about opinions, sensationalism, and the bottom line rather than prioritizing truth and a non bias presentation.

Maybe this new law will lead to the change we media so desperately need.

My first reaction to this was to question Obama's reasoning behind the support. However it could be the first step to cleaning up the mess media has become.

With this act as a legal matter, the media should or may have to step up to the plate of integral news reporting. It will be supported by others if the support is not only for the protection of the reporters, but for the ones being reported about as well.

Media has taken a fall over the years as it has become more about opinions, sensationalism, and the bottom line rather than prioritizing truth and a non bias presentation.

Maybe this new law will lead to the change we media so desperately need.

There is no free press in America let alone the world, I also think Obama was elected to look after America, not the rest of the world. We can look after ourselves thankyou, without his interference and problem creation for us by letting the banksters live under his protection.

What a joke, you forgotten the US missile that targetted Al Jazera during the Iraq invasion? The US tank that deliberately fired at the international journalists in the hotel in Bagdad? The suppression of news implicating US officials in 911, the suppression of news implicating the US govt in the anthrax attacks, the suppression of news implicating US officials at the highest levels in torture? The suppression of news proving the administration lied about weapons of mass destruction, about the criminal use of DU WMD's and White Phosphorous Ordinance on civilians by the US military as Standard Operational Practice?
Wow, AMERICANS BELIEVE THEIR OWN LIES!
How delusional and brainwashed is it possible to get?
Put and end to the suppression of the truth under the cloak of 'national security' and hold your corrupt leaders and corporate criminals personally and individually accountable for their crimes against humanity, or have you forgotten that Russia, China and the USA, the worlds 3 worst offenders, have refused to sign international law agreements that would hold their international criminals accountable in the international courts...
Yes, mass murderers are criminals even if they are Americans.
Yes torturers are criminals even if they are Americans.
Yes members of the military are criminals if they break laws.
These principles have been clearly established in law.
Do you believe torturing, mass murder and such are ok
if done by an American??????

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Julie M. Rodriguez is an arts, green living, and political writer based in San Mateo, CA. Her work has appeared in xoJane, Care2 Causes, Greener Ideal, and Inhabitat. Follow her on Twitter @julierwrites. less